1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to stake devices and more specifically it relates to a stake system for utilization within various types of soil conditions without require various designs of stakes.
Tents and other structure often require the utilization of stake devices for retaining the structure in a desired position. There are various types of soil conditions that these stake devices are utilized within including clay, sand, gravel, heavy soil and light soil. Conventional stake devices are very suitable for the specific type of soil they are designed for.
However, conventional stake devices are not as useful for various types of soil conditions and often times pull out of the ground. Many individuals therefore carry various designs of stake devices to ensure they have the desired stake for the soil conditions at hand.
Unfortunately, carrying a plurality of stake designs consumes valuable storage pace and adds considerable weight to the material. Hence, there is a need for a stake system that is useful within various types of soil conditions and that can be adjusted accordingly to achieve the desirable ground engagement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Stake devices have been in use for years. Typically, conventional stake devices comprised a shaft having a pointed lower end and a flanged upper end. The user drives the conventional stake device into the ground surface with a hammer or other structure. The user then ties a rope or cable about the upper end of the conventional stake device and then ties the opposing end to the structure to be retained.
Conventional stake devices work fine for normal soil conditions. However, when encountering sandy, gravel or light soil conditions, conventional stake devices often times are unintentionally removed from the ground surface by forces such as wind.
Examples of attempted stake devices include U.S. Pat. No. 828,509 to Rounsburg; U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,743 to Bellette; U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,194 to Brownell; U.S. Pat. No. 1,008,323 to Gillespie; U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,983 to Lachance et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 287,156 to Sloane which are all illustrative of such prior art.
Rounsburg (U.S. Pat. No. 828,509) discloses a tent stake. Rounsburg teaches a stock having transverse apertures near the lower end, a rod for movement longitudinally through the stock connectable to the guy members, and a pair of anchor members pivoted to the opposite end of the rod for protruding through the transverse apertures when the rod is moved upwardly. Rounsburg is a suitable product for light soil conditions, however Rounsburg is undesirable within heavy soil conditions because of the extreme difficulty in removing the device from the ground surface after insertion.
Bellette (U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,743) discloses an anchorage device for use I sand or sandy soils. Bellette teaches a shank member having a spiked end and a plurality of downwardly convergent plates for capturing the sand.
Brownell (U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,194) discloses a yard swing stabilizer apparatus. Brownell teaches a lower tube having a V-shaped anchor, and a plurality of anchor rods pivotally mounted to an inner tube for projection through slots of the outer tube for securing within the ground surface.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for utilization within various types of soil conditions without require various designs of stakes. Conventional stake devices are suitable for the soil conditions they are designed for, however they are not as suitable for utilization within various types of soil conditions.
In these respects, the stake system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of utilization within various types of soil conditions without require various designs of stakes.